UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

ODDS:	Brewers by 1
OVER/UNDER:	7

The Brewers were the best team in the league last week. Period. They played great in all 3 zones, were smooth and cohesive, and they have a solid goaltender who can steal a game. Tuck was light but came out strong and won a game with smarts, hard work, solid goaltending, and because they scored first and never looked back. So, who will win this one? Tuck is expected to miss a few players again, but the Brewers won't get sucked in to taking them lightly. Yacey hasn't faced Dr. McSelfish yet, and it will be an epic UVHL battle. Will he get 9 points again? Never. Will Yacey get a shutout? No way. But, will the chemistry of the Brewers offense outmatch the Tuck defense and goaltending? Yes. Brewers by 1.

BREWERS and TUCK BATTLE IN 1-GOAL GAME

From start to finish this game was an even match-up between two good teams that no squad in the UVHL can take lightly. The Brewers are winners of three straight and were the best team in the league last week. Tuck stole a win from the Whalers with a light squad and half of the Tuckies away on Thanksgiving break to remain in 2nd place by a point, and along the way Yacey extended his shutout streak to 103 minutes.

Each team had 10 skaters and a solid goaltender as the puck dropped at 6:35 PM, and they both came out skating hard right away. There were 4 goals scored and no penalties in the first frame and the teams entered the second period tied at 2-2. Tuck drew first blood, as they often do, and Halsey Coughlin got his first of the game at 11:30 from Stephen Bates. The Brewers popped in two in a row, and the match-up between Yacey and Nick %u201CDr. McSelfish%u201D Bayley had me intrigued as I started formulating my pre-game blurbs. Bayley was back from a clinical rotation doing prostate exams in prison and joined his struggling team to give them some much needed puck control and a significant offensive threat. Yacey has been stellar as a UVHL rookie leading the GAA by a large margin and riding high on a shutout streak. I figured Bayls would give Yace a challenge he had not yet faced, and for once I was right, as Bayley beat Yacey on a quick shot from the high slot that was well timed and well placed that found the back of the net at 9:15 from linemate Billy the %u201CBald Eagle%u201D Fletcher. This ended Yacey%u2019s impressive UVHL record shutout streak at approximately 110 minutes. Brewers defenseman Dan %u201CSuper Chunk%u201D Charette and Fletcher set up Bayley yet again less than two minutes later at 7:20 as Bayley found a seam in the Tuck defenders and a hole in Yacey%u2019s armor. Tuck answered late in the period at 1:26 with Bates adding a hardworking goal to go with his assist fed to him by Hay and McGovern.

The two teams battled with a 2-2 score until 8:21 was left in the second, and the Brewers%u2019s D got in on the offense as first year med student Aaron Mancuso passed anatomy class putting it under or around Yacey%u2019s gracilis assisted by wingers Fletcher and Brian Smith. Shortly after that Brewers winger Christian %u201CDr. Narcissus%u201D Isaac took a checking penalty at 7:35, but was able to reminisce for 2 minutes about his own clinical rotation he recently returned from measuring breast implants for %u201Cmodels%u201D in South Beach Miami. Tuck pulled even and this time it was Halsey scoring his second of the game with an unassisted effort at 2:39 to send the teams tied once again into another period of fast paced UVHL action.

It got chippy in the third, and I didn%u2019t see much of it as I was getting ready for my game. The penalty parade started with Isaac needing more %u201Calone time%u201D in the box at 11:36 for tripping, then Halsey for hooking at 10:52 negating Tuck%u2019s PP (nice job, Hoser). Bayley thought that was a good strategy and sat for slashing at 9:49, and was then joined by his Bro-mance Isaac at 8:55 to give Tuck a 2-man advantage for about a minute. I guess Bartline was tested and rose to the challenge like a Medicare patient going in for a Viagara check-up with a naughty nurse (Petey%u2019s favorite) as Tuck was sent back to the bench goal-less after getting their chances with the man advantage. They had another shot at 5:42 with Mancuso in the box for checking, but the Brewers PK must have been hot in the third because Isaac got the GWG just 2 seconds after the Tuck PP ended with an unassisted effort of his own with 3:40 to go in the game. With my skates tied I was the last couple of minutes of the game, and both teams threatened the other for goals, but the score remained 4-3 in favor of the Brewers even after Tuck pulled the goalie for a last chance to tie the game.

Final Score: Brewers 4, Tuck 3

Final Analysis: The Brewers are the hottest team in the league right behind the Gamblers at the moment. Even without suspended captain Garren %u201CDr. Hook%u201D Poirier in the line-up they managed to get the most penalties of any team in the league tonight. This is a weakness they cannot ignore if they expect to win their first Whalen Cup. Tuck played very well, and it was only a 1 goal difference at the end of the night. I didn%u2019t see much of the third period, but either the Tuck PP needs some work, or the Brewers PK is top notch.

Final Tally: Check out the Boxscores section for the stats, eh! Don%u2019t forget to vote for the UVHL Long Trail Player of the Week. The winner gets to pick up a FREE case of beer at Long Trail Brewery thanks to super CEO (and former Notre Dame superstar and UVHL Brewer) Brian Walsh!

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
TCK	11:30	Goal	Coughlin, Halsey(7)	Assist(s): Bates, Steve(4)
BRE	09:15	Goal	Bayley, Nick(7)	Assist(s): Fletcher, Bill(8)
BRE	07:20	Goal	Bayley, Nick(8)	Assist(s): Fletcher, Bill(9) Charette, Dan(4)
TCK	01:26	Goal	Bates, Steve(1)	Assist(s): Hay, James(6) McGovern, Ryan(9)
2nd PERIOD
BRE	08:21	Goal	Mancuso, Aaron(2)	Assist(s): Fletcher, Bill(10) Smith, Brian(7)
BRE	07:35	Penalty	Isaac, Christian(1)	2 minutes for Checking
TCK	02:39	Goal	Coughlin, Halsey(8)	Assist(s): none
3rd PERIOD
BRE	11:36	Penalty	Isaac, Christian(2)	2 minutes for Tripping
TCK	10:52	Penalty	Coughlin, Halsey(4)	2 minutes for Hooking
BRE	09:49	Penalty	Bayley, Nick(2)	2 minutes for Slashing
BRE	08:55	Penalty	Isaac, Christian(3)	2 minutes for Roughing
BRE	05:42	Penalty	Mancuso, Aaron(1)	2 minutes for Checking
BRE	03:40	Goal	Isaac, Christian(5)	Assist(s): none

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